The Amphiuma Care Cheat-Sheet
Bognookhonest amphibian care · bognook.com
Amphiuma — Care Cheat-SheetAdvancedA large, powerful aquatic salamander with a serious bite — strictly for experienced keepers.
📋 At a glance
- Tank
- Aquatic 40 gal+ (1), tight lid + hides
- Temp
- Cool-temperate 60–72°F
- Floor
- Sand or bare bottom — no gravel
- Food
- Worms, fish, crustaceans (tong-fed)
- Lifespan
- 15–25+ years
✅ Extremely hardy and long-lived — but respect the bite; this is an expert-level animal.
🛒 Before you buy
- A large, secure aquatic tank with a tight lid + hides (they are strong and escape)
- Sand/bare bottom + strong filtration
- LONG feeding tongs — the bite is serious, never hand-feed
- The experience to handle a large, powerful amphibian
A healthy one: Long, muscular and eel-like · well-fleshed · clear skin · alert and hunting at night.
🚨 See a vet / act now if…
- Not eating / weight loss
- Skin lesions or fungus
- Bloating
- Open wounds (from thrashing)
Cool them down, reduce stress, and contact an exotics vet — most issues are reversible if caught early.
⛔ Never
- Hand-feeding or careless handling (a powerful, damaging bite)
- Gravel
- An insecure lid
🌿 Golden rules (all amphibians)
- Cycle the tank BEFORE the animal (ammonia = 0).
- Always dechlorinate tap water.
- Cool beats warm — most amphibians are cool/cold species.
- Look, don’t handle — their skin absorbs oils & soaps.
- Buy captive-bred, never wild-caught. Quarantine new arrivals.
- Never release a pet into the wild (it spreads disease).
- A real setup costs more than the animal — budget for it.
- When in doubt, ask — no shame in learning. 💚
